Sunday, July 11, 2004

Landmark Civil Rights Showdown: Senate Vote on Federal Marriage Amendment

Years from now our grandchildren will wonder how anyone could have hated a human being (or denied them basic rights of security and companionship) simply because of their sexual orientation. What does "democracy" mean? Equal rights for all?

Thivai

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Senate showdown over same-sex marriage: Religious right mobilizing massive lobbying effort for federal marriage amendment
Bill Berkowitz
Working For Change

If Karl Rove, the president’s chief advisor, and Ed Gillespie, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, hadn’t been searching for the mother of all wedge issues to galvanize their right wing base; if the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court hadn’t ruled that the state’s constitution should apply to all of its citizens; if Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, a relatively unknown Republican congresswoman from Colorado, hadn’t gotten the ball rolling in Congress; if Texas’ sodomy law hadn’t been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court; if newly elected Mayor Gavin Newsome hadn’t opened San Francisco City Hall to thousands; and if the president hadn’t endorsed it, it is unlikely the U.S. Senate would be on the brink of making history.

But all these things have happened, mostly during the past year. And now, sometime during the week of July 12, the Senate will be voting on a Federal Marriage Amendment -- a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

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